Ray departed from his dwelling for the final time. He couldn't say that he would miss the place or the clan. With everything that bound him to this place on his back and his only friend accompanying him on the journey. Well, he guessed that wasn't fully true anymore. He had grown to think of Chio as a friend in the past days. He was sure that he could make the level threshold in time. On the way back this morning, Ray kept his promise by showing him the hunting spot before they even reached the village. Ray shook his head, clearing his mind as he walked the final distance to the meeting spot. He saw Erith, already present, with a massive sack beside her usual possessions.
“Are you ready?”
Ray asked in a hushed tone.
“As much as I can be.”
Erith responded.
“Then let's get going.”
“Agreed.”
The pair made their way through the village, careful to avoid any guards that were on watch. Luckily, it seemed like their presence in this part of the village was smaller than normal. He could only assume the old man ensured their presence was required elsewhere tonight. The pair, without incident, departed the village and proceeded through the woods, following the elder's map; however, they deviated from the designated haven, heading south toward the Carinthian forest's edge instead. Two hours' travel through dense woodland preceded their decision to camp.
“Hoooaaah. Are you sure we can’t keep going?”
Ray said.
“You're really going to ask me that after yawning? I think you may need a rest more than I do.”
“I'm not the one that was complaining about their feet hurting. A minor yawn is insignificant in comparison.”
Erith rolled her eyes at the statement while rolling out a boar hide sleeping bag for each of them.
“Well then, if you are so energetic, why don’t you take the first watch?”
“Fine.”
“Good. Wake me in 3 hours or if there are any other issues and we will rotate.”
Erith said, climbing into one of the sleeping bags. Ray leaned against the rough bark of a nearby oak, its shade cool against his skin, watching for any sign of movement in the undergrowth. And like that, the next three hours passed, and he switched places with Erith before falling asleep. The next morning he awoke to Erith shaking him.
“Get up already. It's time to move.”
Ray groggily shielded his eyes from the harsh sunlight before crawling his way out of the sleeping bag and helping to pack up the camp. The next few days were a relentless cycle of hunting, the smell of wood smoke from their campfires mingling with the scent of the forest and desperate attempts to gain levels, each successful hunt bringing them closer to their goal. On the third day, Ray finally breached the first threshold, reaching level 10.
“Proficiency threshold reached. Incarnate threshold quest initiated.”
Ray heard the voice of the goddess in his head as he reached level 10.
Incarnate quest? Wha-
A new screen interrupted his thought.
Quests
Incarnate threshold level one
Requirements for compilation
Obtain a class 1/1
Use the artisan panel to enhance an item four times 3/4
Kill an enemy that contains a spark 1/1
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
Rewards
First threshold title
Access to levels 11-20
Unlock of additional system panel based on performance
What surprised him the most about the quest was that he had already killed something with a spark, but he could recall nothing that matched that description in his mind.
Maybe the shriekers? But that couldn't be right. How could they gain access to a spark?
He thought, only gaining more questions that he would need to find answers to. For now, he would focus on completing his quest.
“Hay Erith, I just got to level 10 and got my threshold quest, but I need to enhance an item with my class to complete it. Would you mind if I used your short sword?”
Erith’s eyebrows rose, and she made a whistling noise.
“You already obtained a class and reached level 10?”
“Yes, I got the class on the first night that we got are sparks. Have you not gotten one yet?”
Ray’s face took on a confused look as he responded. He had assumed that everyone had obtained a class on their first night with the spark, but it now looked like he may have been wrong.
“No, my grandfather said that it is normally hard to get one before reaching the first threshold, so I have been waiting, but I guess that you just got lucky.”
Ray nodded. It looked like that lady from the trials was correct. The heavens were blessing him.
“How close are you to reaching the threshold now?”
“I just reached level 8 and should be there in the next few days if we keep this pace up. That reminds me you needed my sword for your quest?”
“Oh, yes.”
Erith unsheathed the blade and handed it to Ray, who wasted no time in opening his artisan panel.
Artisan Panel
Current skill: 1
Crafting points: 10
Please select an item to augment.
Having nothing else that he could think to spend his points on, Ray tried infusing 8 points into the blade. This time, violent red runes came out of his hand and attached to the blade. A level of power that Ray had not yet experienced emanated from the runes. Erith watched in awe at the spectacle unfolding as the runes slowly faded and the process completed. The goddess spoke in his mind again.
“Threshold quest complete rewards allocated.”
He appraised the blade to see its enhancements before checking his gains from completing the quest.
Ashrend Clan Short sword:
A sword belonging to a young heir of the Ashrend clan enhanced further by a beginner artisan
Grade: Rare
Durability: 100/100
Attributes
To Ashes: infuse 10 MP per second active. Ignite the blade of this sword, causing every cut to a fire that will only extinguish upon the target's death or deactivation of the skill.
Ray shared the appraisal screen with Erith, showing her the abilities of her new weapon. A triumphant laugh escaped Erith as the blade blazed to life, a perfect, steady glow matching the exhilaration in her eyes.
"Thank you, Ray!"
She exclaimed, her voice bubbling with unrestrained delight. She then extinguished the blade and ran over to hug him.
“Don’t mention it,”
he said, returning the embrace.
“I needed to do it to complete a quest, anyway.”
“Still, I've never possessed a finer weapon.”
Ray had to agree with Erith’s words there. While he did envy the blade, it was his first rare creation. He could think of no one else in the world that he would rather have possessed it. He also didn’t mind the warm feeling that he got seeing Erith's reaction.
“Let's go find some more things to hunt. I want to give this baby a true test run.”
Erith said, reading to continue on their journey. It was not long before they came upon a group of deer. Erith stalked toward them before sprinting when she was close enough. She made quick work of a large buck, each flaming stake gliding through its hide like it was not even there. Erith once again let out a scratch of glee while using her new weapon. Ray could not help but smile. The joy that his creation had brought to his friend was something that he wished he could see and feel forever. After their brief excursion, they got back on the road and continued their journey. Erith had reached level 10 only two days later and was trying to obtain a class based on close-range combat. Ray had never learned how you where learned how to gain a class as he had gotten lucky with his, so Erith explained it to him while practicing with her sword.
“How I was told to do it was to reach level 10 and repeat an action repeatedly and poof, you get one related to what you were doing.”
Ray still did not understand how it was supposed to work, but Erith's endeavors proved fruitful a day later as she gained an uncommon class that she said related to swordcraft and fire magic. The fire magic part of the class surprised both her and Ray, but they guessed it must have something to do with her new sword.